This invention relates to processes and structures for treatment and purification of liquids, and more specifically to such processes and systems for purifying waste water by distillation, including therein steps and apparatus for production of energy as a byproduct of the purification.
Distillation processes and systems are known in which electrical energy is generated as a byproduct of the distillation process. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,762 there is described an apparatus for distillation of sea water in which sea water is pumped into a three-stage filter unit through a turbine. The turbine is operatively connected to a drive shaft, so that the head pressure of the ocean water as well as the pump operation causes the turbine to rotate, and thus to rotate the drive shaft. An electric generator, in turn, is driven by the drive shaft to produce output electrical energy. The desalinization apparatus requires the use of complex structures, resulting in an expensive and complicated apparatus.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,076,096 there is described a structure for conversion of sea water utilizing a complicated arrangement in which a pair of large tanks contain solutions having different solute concentrations and developing different vapor pressures therein. A turbine is connected to the two tanks and is driven by the vapor pressure differential therebetween, in turn driving an electric generator to deliver electrical output power.
Other distillation devices are known and illustrated by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,558,436 and 4,269,664.
However, each of the distillation and desalinzation devices previously described is complex and, moreover, by design, not readily applicable to distillation of waste water. There is thus a need in the prior art for structures capable of purifying waste water and distilling liquids with efficiency and simplicity, and further providing energy output as a byproduct.